Trust and Transparency at Boxing SA?

Following on an exciting press conference for Aquila Boxing Promotion’s (ABP) upcoming event on Saturday, 25 April 2026 – their 5^th sold out event – this writer was left with another nagging question about how the sport is administered in South Africa. 

How genuine is Boxing SA (BSA) about the growth of the sport when there are ongoing questions being asked about the application of its own rules and regulations?

During Tuesday’s press conference, BSA Director of Operations, Mr Mandla Ntlanganiso, took the opportunity to praise the ABP team for delivering “exactly what they said they would deliver, even more”. He also mentioned the words trust and transparency while in ‘praise-singer’ mode, but here is a question for the BSA COO and his team; where is the trust and transpareny from Boxing SA? Or are these qualities only required from promotions?

Let me explain.

Ntlanganiso was asked about how the recent rankings, with particular reference to Kaine Fourie being ranked at six (6) after only recently moving up to the Welterweight division, as this apparently directly contradicts their own rules – this because Fourie has not yet fought at Welterweight.

In response, Ntlanganiso, referred to the fact that it was up to the Ratings Committee to evaluate and make these decisions and that part of their evaluation is to take into account the pedigree of boxers in the weight divisions from whence they have come. But this response had all the nuance of road sign and here’s why;

1. Fourie has moved up two weight divisions, and any fan of the sport knows that a jump like this is not as straight-forward as it sounds and as much as a fighter may have done well at a lower division, this is only a partial gauge as to how that fighter would do at a higher division, let alone two divisions higher.
2. In 2025, Fourie was ‘demolished’ twice by TKO – in March it was a 1^st rnd TKO and then in November it was a 2^nd rnd TKO. This is critical to understand because according the Ratings Policy, a TKO loss automatically drops a fighter’s rating by two (2) places, meaning that Fourie, who was ranked 5^th at the beginning of March and lost by TKO on March 15th, should have dropped to 7^th but was in fact elevated to 4^th! HUH!!! Then in October he beat Hlongwane (a lower ranked fighter – ranked 7^th) which got him elevated to 3^rd in the division. The maths is not mathing!!!!
3. Ntlanganiso also made no reference to what the actual rankings policy is, something he should know.

After having read BSA’s most recent Ratings Policy and Criteria, in particular section 9, which states; 

CHANGE OF WEIGHT DIVISION 

a. A rated boxer moving permanently from one weight division to another will not automatically be given a rating in the new division. Past performance will be considered, and all cases will be decided on its merit, unless there is a vacant spot in the new division. 

And having spoken to a source close to the BSA Ratings Committee, whose view is that no boxer moving to a new division should be ranked until such time as they have fought at that division. This source also confirmed that in the past, no boxer was in fact ranked until they had fought , and obviously won, in their new division.

So accordingly, BSA’s actions in Dec 2025 are aligned with their Ratings Policy and there is nothing wrong with rating Fourie at six in the division, but what about the historical precedent that has clearly been set when other fighters have changed weight divisions? And let’s not get into how a fighter improves their ranking after a loss – this is where the trust and transparency issues raise their uncomfortable heads….

For those who may not be aware, in December 2025 when the ‘new’ Welterweight rankings were released, the only justification/explanation given for ranking Fourie at six was, ‘he was rated high’. Clearly very liitle weight was given to his two TKO losses last year.

I am not saying Fourie does not deserve to be ranked in the Welterweight division, I am merely questioning the rationale behind the decisions made last year, because the issue of trust and transparency are NOT being adhered to by BSA. How are we meant to trust decisions that are bereft of proper explanation, when even the very basics of compiling and publishing monthly rankings is ignored by BSA?

According to the Boxing SA website: ‘Ratings will be compiled and issued monthly; retrospectively and will be published on the BSA website by no later than the 10th day of each month. The ratings will take into consideration all fights that took place between the first and last day of each month and will be considered chronologically’. Not once, since 2021, have Boxing SA delivered on the very statements that exist on their website!

It is very clear that the qualities that BSA demand from boxing promotions are not the same qualities that they strive to achieve and implement!